Laverne Cox, who plays Sophia Burset in Orange is the New Black, was honoured by Glaad this year for her work supporting the gay and transgender community. Photograph: Sipa USA/Rex

1. Laverne Cox, actor and activist

A new entry at number one is actor, activist and trans woman Laverne Cox, best known for her character Sophia Burset in the television series Orange is the New Black, broadcast on Netflix in 2013. In 2010, the VH1 makeover series TRANSform Me, made her the first African American transgender person to produce and star in her own television show. In April 2014, Cox was honoured by Glaad (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) with its Stephen F Kolzak award for her work as an advocate for the transgender community. Cox made the cover of Time magazine on 9 June 2014.

2. Ellen DeGeneres, comedian and TV presenter

Ellen Degeneres Photograph: Disney Media Distribution

This year, not only did Ellen DeGeneres host the Oscars for the second time (she came out at the 2007 Academy Awards, remember), she was also awarded favourite daytime talk show host in the People's Choice Awards for the third year running, she even managed to break the world record for most retweeted image of all time. Her selfie with a dozen other celebrities, including Meryl Streep and Brad Pitt, at the awards ceremony, was retweeted 3.3m times over the following week.

3. Tom Daley, diver and TV presenter

Tom Daley Photograph: Al Bello/Getty Images

In at number three is diving champion, twice gold medallist at the Commonwealth Games 2010, bronze medal-winner at the Olympic Games 2012 and now TV presenter, Tom Daley. The ratings for his second series of Splash! broadcast on ITV in January, may have taken a dive, but his coming out on a YouTube video the month before boosted his appeal among the LGBT community. Announcing that he had been in a relationship with a man since early 2013, he added: "I still fancy girls, but at the moment I've never been happier." No one seemed more surprised than Daley himself.

4. Stephen Fry, polymath and TV presenter

Stephen Fry Photograph: Kerry Wayne/Photoshot

Stephen Fry has slipped down a couple of places this year, despite the recent two-part documentary he made for BBC Two, Stephen Fry: Out There, in which he travelled the world to look at how LGBT people are treated in their particular communities and wider society. Russia, Uganda and India all came within his sights. The programme won him an award for best presenter at the Royal Television Society Programme Awards 2014. Of course, Fry continues to spread the LGBT message through his sometimes hard-hitting and hilarious tweets (6.82 million followers and counting).

5. Sir Ian McKellen, actor

Ian McKellen Photograph: Pal Hansen

Up from last year's number 10 is Sir Ian McKellen, who has reprised his role of Magneto in X-Men: Days of Future Past, released in May, appeared in The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot, a comedy hommage to Doctor Who, to mark the BBC television series' 50th anniversary in November 2013, and co-starred opposite Derek Jacobi in the ITV sitcom Vicious, which has been commissioned for a second series to be broadcast later this year. He continues his charity work and activism in many fields, but says "legal and social equality for gay people worldwide" is his most pressing concern. Last year, he hosted the Make Believe on Broadway gala, during which he stripped down to his Lord of the Rings underwear. Go Gandalf!

6. Gok Wan, TV presenter

Gok Wan Photograph: Graeme Robertson

Gok Wan's near ubiquity as a presenter of several TV series has nudged him up from last year's position of number nine. Gok's Style Secrets, Hotel GB, Baggage, Gok Cooks Chinese, Made in China and Gok's Teens: The Naked Truth, all made for Channel 4, have gained him a huge following. It was perhaps the last of these programmes, in which he offers advice to troubled teenagers on building self-confidence, self-help for eating disorders and combating bullying – drawn from his own experience – which gave Wan a bit of political clout. His campaign work includes supporting anti-bullying charities Kidscape and Ditch the Label.

7. Clare Balding, TV presenter

Clare Balding

Following her high profile in 2012 as presenter of the Paralympics, Clare Balding has slipped down from last year's number four position. She received an OBE in the 2013 Birthday Honours list for services to broadcasting, won an award for sports presenting at the Television and Radio Industries Club Awards last year, was cited as one of the 100 most powerful women in the UK by BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, and is the new presenter of Good Morning Sunday, on BBC Radio 2. She also presented the Sochi Winter Olympics, a decision she defended on the grounds of it setting an example to the Russians.

8. Graham Norton, TV presenter

Graham Norton Photograph: Nicky Johnston/BBC/Nicky Johnston

The top TV chat show host, having ousted Jonathan Ross from the prime BBC1 slot in 2010, Graham Norton has risen in the ranks from last year's number 16. He has presented the Eurovision Song Contest since 2009, taking over from veteran commentator Terry Wogan, and been the recipient of a Bafta award for best entertainment performance on his own TV show six times. Is this man unstoppable? Earlier this year he criticised the decision of the Irish television channel RTE to settle out of court with opponents of gay marriage who claimed they had been defamed on an episode of the Saturday Night Show.

9. Elton John, musician

Elton John Photograph: Cbs Photo Archive/CBS via Getty Images

What can you add to Elton John's long and creditable history of fabulousness? His Aids Foundation, and his charity balls and galas have managed to raise in excess of $200m (£117m). He told fans at a Russian concert that the county's anti-gay laws were "inhumane" and last year he was presented with the first Brits Icon Award in recognition of his "lasting impact" on UK culture.

10. Anthony Watson, chief information officer, Nike

Anthony Watson Photograph: Jason Merritt/Getty Images for GLAAD

Watson is one of the most influential gay men in the world. In February, he departed Barclays to join Nike as its chief information officer. He sits on the board of directors of Digital Globe Services and Glaad (the world's largest LGBT media advocacy organisation). He's also a patron of Diversity Role Models. A champion for diversity inside and outside of the City, he visits schools offering guidance on challenging homophobic bullying.